MTA Fares
NYC residents deserve to pay less than tourists and out-of-towners. We shouldn’t be charged the same as people from New Jersey or Connecticut.
By reallocating surplus funds, we can lower fares for locals immediately—putting money back in our pockets.

Congestion Pricing
Stop taxing locals just for living here. This needs to be reduced for locals.
Imagine being charged every time you enter or exit your own driveway. That’s exactly how unfair it is right now.

Taxes & Waste
NYC isn’t suffering from a lack of revenue—it’s drowning in wasteful spending.
It’s time to cut the unnecessary expenses and stop burdening working-class families.

This isn’t rocket science—it's basic economics for the people who call this city home.

Homeownership Can Ease the Rental Crisis … If We Do It Right

New York’s housing crisis isn’t just about high rents, it’s about limited pathways to ownership. We talk a lot about affordability, but not enough about how to move working and middle-income families from renting to owning.

Here’s the truth:
When middle-income families become homeowners, they leave the rental market. That reduces demand and helps stabilize rents for everyone else. It’s one of the smartest, most sustainable ways to ease the housing crisis — without relying solely on rent caps.

As your Councilmember, I’ll push for targeted, practical policies that open the door to homeownership:

• Tax incentives for buildings that allow FHA financing and low down payment options for first-time buyers.

• Streamlined approval and city-backed incentives for co-ops and condos to opt in to FHA eligibility.

• Down payment assistance programs in partnership with city-backed lenders, credit unions, and nonprofits — especially for long-time residents, city workers, teachers, and first-generation buyers.

This isn’t radical policy, it’s common-sense investment. Instead of rewarding vacancy and speculation, let’s reward stability and long-term community building.

Fair Rent Policies: Balance for Tenants, Owners & Local Businesses

Rent policy in New York must protect tenants, support small businesses, and create responsible incentives for property owners. Right now, all sides are losing, and our neighborhoods are paying the price.

Here’s how we fix it:

• Vacancy taxes on warehoused rent-regulated apartments and commercial spaces, if it’s sitting empty without active leasing efforts, the city deserves a share of that loss.

• Responsible destabilization — allow property owners to deregulate only if they meet strict criteria:

  • 5-10+ years of continuous ownership, opinion to discussing.

  • Proven tenant stability

  • No outstanding violations

  • Documented capital improvements for increases.

  • Past Capital improvements and rent increases verification towards destabilization.

  • Fees to increase rent or destabilize, creation needs to also benefit tenants.

• Leasing enforcement — if landlords keep storefronts or apartments vacant, they must lower asking rents or face fines. This city needs movement, not gridlock.

And we must give small businesses a real shot, Jane Jacobs vs Robert Moses.

Let’s give entrepreneurs, creatives, and community-serving businesses access to reasonable rents, not impossible ones. We can educate wealthy retail property owners about the long-term value of active, lively storefronts, not just for their bottom line, but for the soul of the city.

Let’s fill our commercial corridors with culture, art, community, and vibrancy, not just banks and chain stores. A thriving NYC means opportunity on every block, not “For Lease” signs gathering dust.

Smart Development: Build What We Actually Need

Too many so-called "affordable" units are priced beyond the reach of everyday New Yorkers. That’s not working, for residents or developers.

I’ll advocate for a development approach that reflects reality:

• Prioritize deeply affordable studios and one-bedrooms, especially in neighborhoods where single adults and seniors are struggling to stay.

• Reform AMI benchmarks so affordability is based on local incomes — not inflated regional figures.

• Give developers flexibility to build units that pencil out and serve a real need — while holding them accountable for transparency and community input.

• Encourage collaboration with local landlords and small property owners, not just large-scale developers.

Let’s stop pretending we’re solving the housing crisis with units no one can afford, and start building for who actually lives here.

Align School Hours with Work Hours
We’re expected to work 9 to 5, yet schools run only until 2:40pm.

• The money is there to extend school support until at least 5:30pm, so parents aren’t forced to pay out of pocket for extra care.
  It’s basic economics that supports both children and working families.

Strive for Excellence
New York is home to some of the best schools in the country—let’s ensure every public school reaches that potential:

• Invest in improvements from elementary through high school so our children have every opportunity to succeed.

Summary :

Support and reform policing through evidence-based strategies: invest in advanced education and specialized training, establish co-responder and community-focused units, leverage technology responsibly, adopt a guardian mindset, and reallocate resources to integrate public health approaches. These measures aim to enhance public safety, build community trust, and ensure appropriate responses to complex social challenges.

1. Enhance Education and Training

• Higher Education: Officers with advanced education levels tend to exhibit improved problem-solving abilities, better communication skills, and a greater propensity for non-coercive conflict resolution. This correlates with increased public trust and reduced incidents of force. shura.shu.ac.uk

• Mental Health Crisis Training: Implementing programs like Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training can bolster officers' confidence and self-perceived capability in handling mental health crises. However, studies indicate that while CIT enhances officer attitudes and knowledge, its direct impact on reducing use-of-force incidents remains inconclusive. jaapl.org

2. Develop Specialized Units

• Mental Health Co-Responder Teams: Pairing officers with mental health professionals during crisis calls has shown promise in improving de-escalation outcomes and reducing unnecessary arrests. Preliminary evaluations suggest these teams can lead to better consumer experiences and more appropriate service referrals.

• Community Support Divisions: Establishing units focused on community engagement, youth outreach, and restorative justice can address underlying social issues, fostering stronger community relations and potentially reducing crime rates.

3. Invest in Technology and Data Systems

• Advanced Data Analytics: Utilizing data-driven approaches, such as predictive analytics and real-time crime mapping, can aid in resource allocation and proactive policing strategies. Effective implementation requires careful planning and community involvement to ensure transparency and accountability.

• Body-Worn Cameras and Surveillance Tools: While these technologies can enhance accountability, their effectiveness depends on proper usage policies, training, and community trust.

4. Implement Evidence-Based Policies

• Guardian Mindset Adoption: Shifting from a "warrior" to a "guardian" approach emphasizes protection and service over aggression. This cultural change within departments can lead to improved community interactions and reduced confrontations. pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

• Integrated Data Systems: Developing shared databases between law enforcement and mental health services can facilitate better responses to individuals in crisis, ensuring timely and appropriate interventions.

5. Reallocate Resources for Holistic Public Safety

• Community-Based Alternatives: Redirecting certain responsibilities, especially those related to mental health and social services, to specialized agencies can alleviate the burden on police and provide more suitable care for individuals in need.

• Public Health Integration: Incorporating public health perspectives into policing strategies can address systemic issues contributing to crime, such as poverty, addiction, and mental illness.